First of all, thank you for the incredible, positive feedback from our “Toilet Paper Syndrome” Point last time. We got a message from a long-time reader saying, “Best one yet.” Another person said, “This hits home with a lot of struggles we have with people’s development in the workplace.” If you’d like to refer back to the Point, go to http://bit.ly/KICixK.
Recently, I got a call from a business owner who wanted to know more about my executive coaching program. We decided to meet at my office and begin a conversation about what she was looking for and how I might help. After the usual niceties, I asked her: “So, how are things going at work?”
Her answer lasted a long time. A … really … long … time. She talked about an employee problem, cash flow issues, the loss of a large account, etc. As the list of woes went on, I noticed that she was no longer smiling like she was when she first walked in and we said our hellos. Her face was now showing signs of stress and anxiety, and I could tell she was overwhelmed with all that was going on. In a matter of minutes, her body language completely changed.
I then said: “Actually, I was asking a bigger-picture sort of question. I was trying to see how you are doing with your goals for the year.”
“Oh, those!” she replied, “I haven’t really thought about our company goals since I went to the beach with our management team in mid-January. That’s when we did our annual planning.”
I knew immediately that this new client was a victim of “the swarm.” In fact, it sounded like the swarm had pretty much taken over her office. It happens all the time.
The swarm is comprised of all the little, yet urgent, things you have to do in a workday. It is 90 minutes of emailing; it’s the customer calling with a problem that requires your attention. It’s the employee who “needs a minute” when you know that means 25 minutes of time that you simply don’t have to spare. It’s all the items on your To Do list that just keeps getting longer.
It’s also the other many, many things that need doing outside of the office. It’s the oil that needs changing in the car. It’s your youngest child who’s counting on you to be at the game or the school play or the awards ceremony. It’s balancing your checkbook, cleaning out the garage, backing up your laptop, making dinner and checking homework. It’s even your mother wanting you to look over the long-term care insurance proposal she sent you three weeks ago.
The swarm affects us all; that’s life. But that’s no excuse.
So I’ll ask you: “How are you doing on your goals for this year?
We are 141 days into the year; that’s just under 40 percent of the entire year already gone! What’s more, it’s now vacation time when a lot of people “turn down the volume of work.” Are you on track with your goals? Are you making progress? Or has the swarm taken over and derailed your plans?
Corsini’s Point:
Take a break today from the everyday. We are four months and 20 days into this year. That’s 203,040 minutes behind us. Before you can blink, we’ll be fully halfway though the year. Take a moment, and assess how you are doing so far. Go to your computer or iPad or mobile phone or notebook and find those goals you set and made notes about in January. Ask yourself: “How am I doing? Am I making progress, or has the swarm taken control of my work and life?” The swarm is a powerful thing. But you are stronger and smarter and more capable. Next time, we’ll discuss some ways to take away the swarm’s ability to keep you from reaching your goals.
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